Bridle-bit



(No Model.)

G. A. GILBERT.

BRIDLE BIT.

No. 496,222. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

Imam/60,7

' UNITED STATES PATENT 'QFFICE.

GEORGE A- GILBERT, OF MILWAUKEE, WVISOONSIN.

BRlDLE-BIT.

.srncrrrcn'rron forming part of L ss Patent No. 496,222, dated April 25, 1893. Application filed September 3, 1891. Serial Ila 404,670. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. GILBERT, of

Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and:

State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridle-Bits; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The main object of my invention is to pro- Vide a bit by which luggers, runaways and hard-bitted intractable horses may be more easily controlled without bruising or cutting their mouths or subjecting them to unnecessary severity.

It consists essentially of cheek pieces having bars upwardly and outwardly inclined therefrom, and a mouth piece having sliding connections at its ends with said bars, whereby an increased pull on the reins, attached to the lower ends of the cheek-pieces, will carry the mouth-piece upwardly and at the same time force the cheek-pieces inwardly, com-.

pressing both the upper and lower jaws; and

of certain other novel and useful features hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved bit, showing the method of attaching the reins, cheek-pieces and check. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the bit showing in full lines the mouth-piece in its extreme upper position, and the cheek-pieces in their extreme inner positions and in dotted lines the several parts in their extreme opposite positions; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bit showing the parts in the positions they ordinarily assume when driving with an easy rein. I

A is the mouth-piece of the usual or any suitable construction for this class of bits formed or provided at the ends with loops or eyes a a, in which the inclined bars of the cheek-pieces are inserted and held. y

B B represent cheek-pieces formed at their upper ends with rings 0 O, for the attachment of the cheek-pieces of the bridle and the check rein, and at their lower ends with rings D D for the attachment of the reins. The rings of each cheek-piece are connected by bars I) b in approximately the same plane therewith and preferably curved slightly forward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3; theyi'are also connected between the bars I) b by bars 19 b which are inclined upwardly and outwardly from the plane of the cheek-pieces. These bars b b are inserted looselyin the eyes a at the ends of the mouth-piece which is capable of sliding freely up and down thereon, the ends of the mouth-piece A passing through the openings between the bars b b. The front bars I) 1), bearing against the front side of the mouth-piece A, serve as guides to hold the cheek-pieces in their proper positions, relative to the mouthpiece and prevent them from being swung outwardly on the inclined bars b especially when the mouth-piece is carried upwardly on the diverging bars 12 19 The rear bars I) b are formed or provided with rearwardly projecting loops 1) b near the middle portions of the cheek-pieces for the purpose of attaching the reins, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, when it is wished to use the device in the manner of an ordinary bit. much less leverage on the mouth-piece, and the pull exerted through them when so at tached has little tendency to carry the mouthpiece upwardly and throw the cheek-pieces inwardly. When, however, the reins are attached to the rings D D, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the greater the pull exerted through them the farther the mouth-piece A will be carried up into the mouth and the greater will be the leverage on the mouthpiece, tending to carry it upwardly and-to force the cheek-pieces inwardly against both jaws of the horse. The simultaneous elevation of the mouth-piece A and the compression of the cheek-pieces 13 against the sides of both jaws and the nerves of the nose, promptly subdue a hard-bitted' lugging or intractable horse and render him tractable and amenable to the rein without cutting, bruising or otherwise injuring his mouth. The compression of the bit is relaxed as soon as the animal yields and the reins are slackened,

The reins attached to the loops b b have (the mouth-pieceA being thus allowed to descend on the inclined bars 19 b and the cheekpieces B to recede toward the positions indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2,) so that with a moderately taut or slack rein, the bit will be as gentle and easy to the mouth as the ordinary bit.

Various modifications in the minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my device.

I clairn-- 1. Abridle bit consisting of cheek pieces having upwardly and outwardly inclined bars, and a mouth piece having sliding connections at its ends with said bars, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A bridle bit consisting of check pieces having bars upwardly and outwardly inclined therefrom, and rings or loops at their opposite ends for the attachment of the reins and the cheek pieces of the bridle, and a rigid mouth piece having sliding connections at its ends with said bars, whereby a pull exerted through the reins tends to move the mouth piece upwardly and the cheek pieces inwardly toward each other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

A bridle bit consisting of cheek pieces having bars upwardly and outwardly inclined therefrom, and rings or loops at opposite ends for the attachment of the reins and the cheek pieces of the bridle, and a mouth piece having sliding connections at its ends with said bars, said cheek pieces being provided with guide bars which are constructed and arranged to bear against the front side of the mouth piece and to hold the cheek pieces in their proper positions relative thereto, substantially as and for'the purposes set forth.

4. A bridle bit consisting of cheek pieces having bars upwardly and outwardly inclined therefrom, and rings or loops at opposite ends for the attachment of the reins and the cheek pieces of the bridle, and intermediate rings or loops for the attachment of the reins, whereby the device is made to operate like an ordinary bit, and a mouth piece having sliding connections at its ends with said bars, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. GILBERT.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, E. G. AsMUs. 

